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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Maanvi Singh and Joan E Greve

Biden says US has enough vaccine for ‘every single, solitary American’ – as it happened

Biden at the White House on Tuesday.
Biden at the White House on Tuesday. The president emphasized the country will still be able to meet its vaccination goals. Photograph: Pete Marovich/EPA

Summary

  • The FDA announced a pause in administering the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine due to six reports of blood clots, among the more than 6 million people who have received the J&J vaccine. Joe Biden and senior administration officials have emphasized the US will still be able to meet its vaccination goals because of the large supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. “There is enough vaccine that is basically 100% unquestionable for every single solitary American,” Biden said this afternoon.
  • Biden will announce plans tomorrow to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The timeline means Biden will miss the 1 May deadline established by the Trump administration.
  • Biden and congressional leaders attended a ceremony to honor William “Billy” Evans, the US Capitol police officer who was killed in a car attack at the Capitol earlier this month. The president told Evan’s family, “This is heroism. Your son, your husband, your brother, your dad was a hero.” Vice-President Kamala Harris also paid her respects to Evans at the Capitol moments ago.
  • Biden will appear in a TV special this weekend alongside Barack and Michelle Obama, former NBA stars, musicians, actors and Covid-19 adviser Anthony Fauci to promote the coronavirus vaccinations. The special, which will air Sunday evening on NBC, is designed to encourage Americans to sign up for the jab.
  • The police officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright on Sunday and her police chief have resigned. The Brooklyn Center chief, Tim Gannon, and Officer Kim Potter submitted their resignations two days after Potter shot Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop.
  • Derek Chauvin’s defense team opened its case today. The former police officer’s lawyers attempted to highlight George Floyd’s previous encounters with law enforcement and his drug use, even though health experts have already testified Floyd died of a low level of oxygen caused by Chauvin keeping his knee Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.
  • The officer who shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is now back on the job. The officer did not face criminal charges for the shooting, which left Blake paralyzed from the waist down.
  • The White House announced today that Joe Biden would nominate Robert Santos to lead the Census Bureau. If approved, Santos would be the first person of color to serve as a permanent director of the agency. The historic announcement comes after a tumultuous year for the Census Bureau, which under Trump was mired in controversy and legal battles over whether undocumented immigrants could be excluded from the census.

– Joan E Greve and Maanvi Singh

Updated

Report: 45,000 transgender youth at risk of losing access to healthcare due to proposed legislation

A study from the Williams Institute at UCLA found that 45,000 young transgender people could lose access to gender-affirming healthcare if proposed legislation in several states is made into law.

Arkansas passed a bill denying gender-affirming care for young people, and nine other states are considering similar bills.

My colleague Sam Levin wrote about the bills:

The bills are part of an escalating culture war involving trans kids. As Joe Biden has vowed to protect LGBTQ+ people and a 2020 supreme court ruling protected trans rights in the workplace, conservative legislators have introduced more than 80 bills restricting trans rights – most that would either block trans kids’ use of gender-affirming care or limit their access to certain sports teams. It is the highest number of anti-trans legislative proposals ever filed in a single year.

Supporters of gender-affirming healthcare, including major medical associations, human rights groups and affected families, say that the treatments are well established and part of a gradual process that has been shown to dramatically improve the mental health of the most vulnerable kids. The bills, they argue, misrepresent the care model with false and fearmongering narratives. Trans teens who have received treatments say they would suffer serious harm if they were stripped of the care.

“We’re talking about criminalizing doctors for providing best-practice medical care to their patients, and making it child abuse for parents to support access for their children,” said Kasey Suffredini, CEO of Freedom for All Americans, an LGBTQ+ rights group. “These bills are very, very extreme … and these are life and death issues.”

Read more:

Endangered US rivers at grave risk from dams, mining and global heating

Dams, mining, factory farms and global heating are among the gravest threats facing America’s endangered rivers, according to a new report.

The Snake River in the Pacific north-west is ranked the most endangered US river of 2021, where salmon runs are on the brink of extinction because of four federal dams obstructing the free flow of water, according to American Rivers’ annual report.

It poses an existential threat to north-western Native American tribes who depend on the fish for food, culture and their identities, as well disrupting the entire local ecosystem, from black bears and orcas.

But, the dire situation is salvable.

“On the Snake River, we have an opportunity for the greatest river restoration effort the world has ever seen … saving iconic salmon and orcas, bolstering clean energy and strengthening the region’s economy,” said Tom Kiernan, president of American Rivers, an advocacy group.

Advocates are urging Joe Biden to include a $33.5bn proposal by the Idaho congressman Mike Simpson, a Republican, to remove the four dams and recover salmon in his infrastructure package.

Every year American Rivers ranks the country’s 10 most endangered rivers to highlight where imminent threats to human health, safety and survival could be resolved through decisive political, business and community measures.

This year’s list highlights the unequal impact of unchecked big business, Native American treaty violations, and inadequate regulation on the nation’s rivers and the communities who depend on them for water, food and cultural heritage.

In second place is the Lower Missouri River, where communities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska face increasing floods that threaten homes and businesses, and environmental and public health. The risks are exacerbated by authorities’ continued reliance on an antiquated flood control system, say advocates.

The Missouri is America’s longest river, but the once meandering, ecologically diverse 2,300-mile waterway has long been artificially contained by hundreds of miles of levees, which are being increasingly breached.

Extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis, such as droughts, hurricanes and floods are a growing threat to rivers, communities and drinking and wastewater systems.

“In Missouri we have coal ash, radioactive waste, abandoned lead mines and a variety of other toxic accidents waiting to happen. When an area floods, this chemical soup becomes part of our water system, potentially impairing your drinking water or your favorite fishing stream,” said Rachel Bartels, the director of Missouri Confluence Waterkeeper, a conservation group.

Aerial view of the Missouri River.Photograph: Brandon Knoblauch

Nationwide, at least 945 toxic superfund sites are vulnerable to extreme weather such as hurricanes, floods, rising sea levels and wildfires, which are becoming more frequent and intense as the planet heats up.

Read more:

Joe Biden, Barack and Michelle Obama will appear in a TV special alongside former NBA stars, musicians, actors and Covid-19 adviser Anthony Fauci to promote the coronavirus vaccinations.

The special, which will air Sunday evening on NBC, is designed to encourage Americans to sign up for the jab. The NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and musician Ciara will host the event, which will feature celebrities including Sterling K Brown, Lana Condor, Billy Crystal, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Dale Jarrett, Ken Jeong, Joe Jonas, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Lovato, Joel McHale, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kumail Nanjiani, Ellen Pompeo, Amanda Seyfried, Jane Seymour and Wanda Sykes.

The administration says it has made it a priority to increase vaccination rates in hard-hit communities of color, especially. The federal government has allocated $10m to improving vaccine access and promotion. Following today’s announcement on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause, public health leaders are especially anxious to reassure Americans that the government thoroughly vets vaccine safety, and encourage more people to sign up.

My colleague Jessica Glenza reports:

The pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may cause a hit to the American immunization campaign, which was set to administer hundreds of thousands of easy-to-administer doses provided by the company. The White House denied the pause would have a significant impact, and said vaccination appointments could be rescheduled.

Despite the strides made in immunizing all adult Americans, with 74 million people and 22% of the public fully immunized, Covid-19 cases are rising in several states, such as Minnesota, and remain high in others, such as Michigan.

With a weary public and the return of warm weather in much of the country, politicians have had little appetite to renew restrictions on social life and many instead say the vaccination campaign can curb cases.

The new concerns are also likely to inflame partisan tensions and the conspiracy theorists. Republicans, especially men, remain the most hesitant to receive a coronavirus vaccine after national politicians and Donald Trump downplayed the seriousness of the virus.

Vaccine hesitancy could play an increasingly significant role in whether the US is able to curb the pandemic, or if the viral spread is allowed to continue and circulate regionally. Although the exact level of immunity needed to squash viral spread is not known, experts believe between 70-90% of the public will need to be vaccinated.

Updated

Living near a US toxic waste site could shave a year off your life, study finds

Paola Rosa-Aquino reports:

Superfund sites are scattered across America: they’re places like landfills and manufacturing plants so contaminated with hazardous waste that the federal government has designated them a national priority to clean up. And according to a new, large-scale study, living near one can shave months – and in some cases, more than a year – off how long you live.

After Hurricane Harvey made landfall in south-east Texas in 2017, the University of Houston’s Hanadi Rifai began research along the 50-mile-long Houston Ship Channel, the petrochemical industry’s main artery. Rifai and her colleagues noticed how neighborhoods adjacent to hazardous waste sites, such as where the San Jacinto River meets the channel, seemed to have a lower life expectancy. “That got us interested in a more comprehensive [national] study,” Rifai said.

In a first-of-its-kind study out Tuesday in Nature Communications, Rifai and a team of researchers found that living in a zip code in close proximity to a Superfund site may decrease average life expectancy by 0.2 years. It could be up to a year in socioeconomically challenged communities, says Rifai, who is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and the study’s lead author.

In places with an even higher concentration of waste sites, like Texas’s Harris County, where Rifai lives, “we’re not talking 0.2 [years] – we’re talking a few years.”

The study used data available for more than 65,000 of the 72,268 census tracts – defined geographical areas where census data is collected – within the contiguous US.

Read more:

Biden taps Latinx statistician Robert Santos to lead Census Bureau

The White House announced today that Joe Biden would nominate Robert Santos to lead the Census Bureau.

The Trump appointee in the position, Steven Dillingham, quit in January amid whistleblower reports that he tried to rush out a report on non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants, based on incomplete data.

If approved, Santos would be the first person of color to serve as a permanent director of the agency. The historic announcement comes after a tumultuous year for the Census Bureau, which under Trump was mired in controversy and legal battles over whether undocumented immigrants could be excluded from the census. Trump wanted to exclude undocumented people, and add in a citizenship question. But the US constitution holds that the “whole number of persons in each state” must be counted. Amid the former administration’s immigration crackdowns, civil rights groups and lawmakers also worried that immigrants would be less likely to respond to the census, which is used to allocate funding and determine representation in Congress.

Santos, the vice-president and chief methodologist at the Urban Institute, specializes in survey design. He is the 116th president of the American Statistical Association.

Updated

Around three months after it was announced that the officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back last summer would not face criminal charges, the police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, announced that the officer is back on the job.

Without mentioning Blake’s name or details of the shooting last year, beyond referring to a “use of force incident”, the Kenosha police department put out a statement via Twitter this afternoon.

Blake said in January of this year that he feared becoming the “next George Floyd” if he had allowed himself to fall down last August when he was shot multiple times in the back and side next to his car after a confrontation with police. The shooting has left him paralyzed from the waist down.

The police statement today on behalf of the chief, Daniel Miskinis, said that the incident “was investigated by an outside agency, has been reviewed by an independent expert as well a the Kenosha county district attorney.” Officer Rusten Sheskey returned to work with the Kenosha PD on March 31

“Officer Sheskey was found to have been acting within policy and will not be subjected to discipline,” the statement said, adding: “Although this incident has been reviewed at multiple levels, I know that some will not be pleased with the outcome; however, given the facts, the only lawful and appropriate decision was made.”

Updated

After meeting with Biden and Harris, members of the Congressional Black Caucus spoke with members of the press.

“We started out by certainly saying this has been a tough week for us,” said CBC chair Joyce Beatty, a representative of Ohio. Legislators spoke with Biden and Harris on a range of issues, from healthcare disparities to food deserts to reparations.

Beatty also said that she encouraged the president to appoint a Black woman to the supreme court if a vacancy were to arise.

Updated

Today so far

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • The FDA announced a pause in administering the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine due to six reports of blood clots, among the more than 6 million people who have received the J&J vaccine. Joe Biden and senior administration officials have emphasized the US will still be able to meet its vaccination goals because of the large supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. “There is enough vaccine that is basically 100% unquestionable for every single solitary American,” Biden said this afternoon.
  • Biden will announce plans tomorrow to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The timeline means Biden will miss the May 1 deadline established by the Trump administration.
  • Biden and congressional leaders attended a ceremony to honor William “Billy” Evans, the US Capitol Police officer who was killed in a car attack at the Capitol earlier this month. The president told Evan’s family, “This is heroism. Your son, your husband, your brother, your dad was a hero.” Vice-President Kamala Harris also paid her respects to Evans at the Capitol moments ago.
  • The police officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright on Sunday and her police chief have resigned. Brooklyn Center Chief Tim Gannon and Officer Kim Potter submitted their resignations two days after Potter shot Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop.
  • Derek Chauvin’s defense team opened its case today. The former police officer’s lawyers attempted to highlight George Floyd’s previous encounters with law enforcement and his drug use, even though health experts have already testified Floyd died of a low level of oxygen caused by Chauvin keeping his knee on the Black man’s neck for more than nine minutes.

Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Vice-President Kamala Harris paid her respects to US Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans in the Rotunda moments ago.

Joe Biden and congressional leaders spoke at a ceremony this morning to honor Evans, who died in the car attack at the Capitol earlier this month.

The president told Evan’s family, “This is heroism. Your son, your husband, your brother, your dad was a hero.”

The CEO of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, said the company will deliver 10% more coronavirus vaccine doses to the US than previously agreed.

That means Pfizer will deliver a total of 220 million doses by the end of May, which is enough to vaccinate 110 million people, or roughly a third of the American population.

Moderna has also promised to deliver 200 million doses by the end of May, meaning the country will definitely have enough shots to vaccinate about 210 million people by the end of next month.

Pfizer’s announcement comes as the Food and Drug Administration has announced a “pause” in administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to six reports of blood clots among the more than 6 million people who have received the company’s vaccine.

The call in the US for a pause in the use of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine is another blow to hopes of vaccinating the whole world as fast as possible.

Health agencies recommended that US states pause use of the jab while investigations take place into six cases of women who have experienced rare blood clotting events combined with low platelets in the days following vaccination.

J&J announced it would also “proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe”, where the European Medicines Agency was already reviewing the US reports.

The six cases in the US – from 6.8m doses of J&J vaccine administered – seem to be similar to those that have caused alarm across Europe, linked to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Some countries have suspended the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine while others have imposed age limits. In France, it will not be given to anyone under 55, while in Germany it is offered to the over-60s. The UK is allowing the under-30s to choose an alternative.

Between them the AstraZeneca and J&J vaccines were the best chance for many developing countries. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is being produced at no profit and is easy to transport and store at room temperature. That was deliberate – the university and the company have pledged to make it highly accessible. The J&J vaccine is the other great hope, because it is given as one dose, not two, cutting the cost and making it easier for countries with shaky health systems to mass-vaccinate.

Some Biden administration officials are reportedly preparing for the “pause” in administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine to last for weeks, particularly for certain age groups.

Politico reports:

Two senior administration officials told POLITICO that the Biden administration is preparing for a potentially lengthy disruption in use of the J&J vaccine, particularly for certain groups — such as women ages 18-48, who make up all of the known clotting cases. The CDC is waiting for its independent vaccine advisory panel to make a determination on Wednesday about whether and how to restrict eligibility for the J&J shot, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer a more thorough discussion of the issue.

The administration’s preparations for a potentially lengthy stoppage highlight the level of concern among senior government scientists — especially after reports of similar rare but serious reports of blood clots among recipients of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 shot, which uses the same technology as the J&J vaccine. The situation also presents a major political challenge for the Biden administration as it tries to balance the best scientific advice with concerns that the pause could dent public confidence in vaccines or lead to further infections or deaths.

Asked earlier today about how long the J&J pause might last, Dr Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, said, “It’s going to be more like days to weeks, rather than weeks to months.”

Independent health experts have said the “pause” in administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine shows federal monitoring systems for potential adverse side effects of the vaccine are working.

Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, said on CNBC’s Squawk Box: “For most consumers, I wouldn’t be concerned about this. Really this is an alert to doctors. That’s how FDA framed it. It’s advice to doctors to be monitoring more closely.”

The pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may also cause a hit to the American immunization campaign, which was set to administer hundreds of thousands of easy-to-administer doses provided by the company. The White House denied the pause would have a significant impact, and said vaccination appointments could be rescheduled.

The J&J pause comes at a perilous time in the pandemic. Despite the strides made in immunizing all adult Americans, with 74 million people and 22% of the public fully immunized, Covid-19 cases are rising in several states, such as Minnesota, and remain high in others, such as Michigan.

With a weary public and the return of warm weather in much of the country, politicians have had little appetite to renew restrictions on social life and many instead say the vaccination campaign can curb cases.

There is enough vaccine for 'every single solitary American,' Biden says

Joe Biden downplayed concerns about the newly announced pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine over concerns about six reports of blood clots among the more than 6 million people who have received the vaccine.

The president emphasized the country will still be able to meet its vaccination goals because of the large supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which have not raised any concerns regarding side effects.

“My message to the American people on the vaccine is, I told y’all I made sure we have 600 million doses” of Pfizer and Moderna, Biden said moments ago at the start of his meeting with Congressional Black Caucus members.

The president added, “So, there is enough vaccine that is basically 100% unquestionable for every single solitary American.”

Jeff Zients, the White House pandemic response coordinator, delivered a similar message earlier today, saying the Johnson & Johnson pause “will not have a significant impact” on the US vaccine distribution strategy.

Vice-President Kamala Harris addressed the police killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, earlier today.

Speaking before a roundtable on Black maternal health, Harris said, “I do want to address the killing of Daunte Wright: He should be alive today. And to his family and loved ones, you must know that the president and I grieve with you as the nation grieves his loss, and we stand with you.”

The vice-president emphasized that police officers “must be held to the highest standards of accountability”.

Harris added, “At the same time, we know that folks will keep dying if we don’t fully address racial injustice and inequities in our country, from implicit bias to broken systems.”

The Brooklyn Center police officer who shot Wright, Kim Potter, and the city’s police chief, Tim Gannon, have both resigned in the wake of the young man’s death.

Chauvin trial: defence opens its case with former police officer

The defence in the Derek Chauvin murder trial opened its case on Tuesday by attempting to show George Floyd had a history of failing to cooperate with the police while under the influence of drugs.

Scott Creighton, a former Minneapolis police officer, testified that he stopped a vehicle in May 2019 in which Floyd was a passenger and found him incoherent and unable to obey orders.

But the picture that emerged from the testimony and body-camera video may be of limited help to the defence. Floyd comes across as frightened and not threatening, pleading with the police not to shoot him while Creighton and other officers give contradictory orders and rapidly escalate the situation.

Full story:

Updated

Abortion pills will be available remotely during pandemic

In a move likely to inflame conservatives and the religious right, federal officials said on Tuesday women will be able to acquire abortion pills without visiting a doctor’s office or clinic during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Associated Press reports:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the policy change in a letter to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), one of several medical groups that has sued over a restriction put in place under the Trump administration.

Dr Janet Woodcock, acting head of the FDA, said studies “do not appear to show increases in serious safety concerns” when women take the pill without visiting a health facility and discussing potential risks including internal bleeding.

The change clears the way for women to get a prescription for the pill, mifepristone, via telemedicine and to receive it through the mail. About 40% of all abortions in the US are now done through medication rather than surgery. Abortion opponents are pushing legislation in several Republican-led states that would head off easier access.

Last year, the FDA waived in-person requirements for virtually all medications. But the FDA still required patients to pick up the single tablet of mifepristone at a hospital, clinic or medical office and sign a form that includes information about potential risks.

The ACOG sued to overturn the rule, setting off a series of conflicting court decisions. In January, the supreme court sided with the Trump administration to reinstate the rule.

Several groups are pushing to make medication abortion permanently available via online and mail-order. The FDA policy will apply during the Covid-19 emergency.

In November, Kelly Blanchard, president of Ibis Reproductive Health, a non-profit research and advocacy center, told the Guardian: “Years of experience and rigorous research in the US and around the globe show mifepristone is safe and effective.”

Here’s some further reading, from which that quote was pulled:

Police chief and officer resign over fatal shooting of Daunte Wright

The police chief of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota and the officer who shot dead 20-year-old Daunte Wright on Sunday have both resigned.

Wright, who was unarmed when the police stopped his car, was black. Chief Tim Gannon and officer Kim Potter are both white. Gannon said on Monday Potter shot Wright by accident, thinking she was firing her Taser stun gun.

The suburb of Minneapolis has seen two nights of protests and confrontations between police and demonstrators.

Detailed coverage is continuing on our other blog of the day, which is also covering the trial of Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis for the death last year of George Floyd – a killing which sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and for racial injustice:

Updated

Today so far

The White House press briefing has now concluded. Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • Joe Biden and congressional leaders attended a ceremony to honor William “Billy” Evans, the US Capitol Police officer who was killed in a car attack at the Capitol earlier this month. The president told Evan’s family, “This is heroism. Your son, your husband, your brother, your dad was a hero.” Evans will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda for the rest of the day.
  • The FDA announced a pause in administering the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine due to six reports of blood clots in vaccine recipients, out of more than 6 million vaccine shots already delivered. White House officials said the US will still be able to hit its vaccine distribution goals, despite the pause, because of the large supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine doses available.
  • Biden will announce tomorrow plans to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. A senior administration official confirmed the timeline to the Guardian’s Julian Borger.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

A senior administration official echoed comments from White House press secretary Jen Psaki on the US military’s path forward in Afghanistan.

“We’ve long known that military force would not solve Afghanistan’s internal political challenges, would not end Afghanistan’s internal conflict, and so we are ending our military operations while we focus our efforts on supporting diplomatically the ongoing peace process,” the official said.

“But what we will not do is use our troops as bargaining chips in that process,” the official added.

Joe Biden is expected to announce tomorrow that he is setting a deadline of September 11 to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan.

Asked about Joe Biden’s speech tomorrow on the path forward in Afghanistan, Jen Psaki declined to provide specific details on the plan that the president will propose.

But the White House press secretary did say this: “The president has been consistent in his view that there is not a military solution to Afghanistan, that we have been there for far too long.”

Johnson & Johnson pause demonstrates dedication to patient safety, Zients and Fauci say

White House Covid-19 task force coordinator Jeff Zeints said a “pause” in Johnson & Johnson vaccine administration would not affect national vaccine distribution, despite that some officials expected to rely on the one-shot vaccine in rural and isolated communities.

“We have enough to continue the current pace of about 3 million shots per day, 200 million shots by [Joe Biden’s] 100th day in office,” Zeints said in the White House briefing room.

He later added: “We have enough supply of Moderna and Pfizer… to head toward the Fourth of July we’ve talked about as a country.”

Six cases of blood clots and low platelet counts in women between 18 and 48 caused the CDC and FDA to recommend states pause administration of the vaccine while potential links between the vaccine and very rare syndrome are investigated. More than 6 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses have been administered in the US.

Officials have said there are similarities between the syndrome being investigated and those associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe and Australia. The AstraZeneca vaccine is not available in the US. Both vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca share a vaccine technology called an “viral vector”. If a link was established, the syndrome would still be exceedingly rare, affecting less than one in one million people vaccinated.

Health authorities said it was also important to pause the administration and announce it to the public because of the treatment needed for patients who may be suffering from such clots. Standard treatment for blood clots uses heparin, a blood thinner. In this syndrome, officials said heparin could be “dangerous” and make the syndrome worse.

“When individuals, particularly younger women, come into a physician with a thrombotic phenomenon, we want to alert physicians to take a history of a recent vaccination,” said Dr Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical advisor. “That would be important.”

The White House had “no involvement” in the announcement about a “pause” in administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the US. Zeints said the administration is “ruled by science,” and would wait for health officials’ investigation.

As to whether the very rare potential side effect could increase vaccine hesitancy, particularly in rural areas where the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was expected to be deployed, Zeints and Fauci said the pause represents how seriously the FDA takes patient safety.

“Hesitancy amongst a group of people is a challenge,” said Zeints. “The FDA acting the way they did today shows they are indeed the gold standard, and I think that should reassure the American public they are very diligent.”

Flu-like side effects in the days immediately following vaccine administration are common established side effects, and would typically resolve within a few days. In all six cases, the blood clotting events occurred between six and 13 days after any of the patients received a vaccine.

Symptoms of the clotting syndrome include severe headache, shortness of breath, abdominal and leg pain. People experiencing such symptoms roughly one to three weeks after receiving the vaccine should seek medical attention. People who received the vaccine more than one month ago are at “very low” risk for complications.

Biden to deliver speech on Afghanistan tomorrow

Joe Biden will deliver a speech tomorrow on the US military’s strategy in Afghanistan, the White House press secretary just announced.

“The president will deliver remarks tomorrow at the White House on the way forward in Afghanistan,” Jen Psaki said.

Speaking from the White House briefing room podium, Psaki told reporters, “I’m going to be limited on what I’m going to share from here.”

The announcement comes as a senior administration official has confirmed to the Guardian’s Julian Borger that Biden intends to set a September 11 deadline for all US troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Jeff Zients, the White House pandemic response coordinator, said his team did not know about the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine pause until this morning, when the Food and Drug Administration released its announcement.

“We didn’t know about anything in terms of the announcement until last night, and we didn’t even know the content of the announcement until this morning, when everyone else read it,” Zients said in the White House briefing room.

US still has 'plenty of supply' of vaccines despite Johnson & Johnson pause, Zients says

The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is now holding her daily briefing with reporters.

Psaki was joined by Jeff Zients, the White House pandemic response coordinator, and Dr Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, to discuss the news that the Food and Drug Administration is calling for a pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine.

The pause comes after six cases of blood clots were reported in women who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, out of more than 6 million doses administered.

Zients emphasized the US still has enough vaccine doses to continue administering 3 million shots a day, even with Johnson & Johnson on pause, because the country has “plenty of supply” of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

State and local officials are already working to reschedule vaccination appointments, so patients who expected to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can soon receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Fauci stressed that these side effects appear to be “very rare,” adding that health experts have seen “no red flag signals” from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The infectious disease expert said the Johnson & Johnson pause will allow the FDA to “further investigate these cases”.

“We are totally aware that this is a very rare event. We want to get this worked out as quickly as we can,” Fauci said. “I don’t think it was pulling the trigger too quickly.”

Senior official confirms September 11 deadline for withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Joe Biden will withdraw all the remaining US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the al-Qaida terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, a senior administration official has confirmed.

The president is expected to make a formal announcement on Wednesday. There are currently about 2,500 US troops in the country, serving alongside 7,000 other foreign troops as part of a Nato coalition. Most, if not all, Nato allies are likely to withdraw in coordination with the US.

The drawdown of US troops will begin by 1 May, the withdrawal deadline the Trump administration agreed with the Taliban last year, and will be completed by the 9/11 anniversary.

“We went to Afghanistan to deliver justice to those who attacked us on September 11th and to disrupt terrorists seeking to use Afghanistan as a safe haven to attack,” a senior administration official said.

Biden proposes potential summit meeting in call with Putin

Joe Biden spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin today, and the US president proposed a meeting in the coming months.

“President Biden reaffirmed his goal of building a stable and predictable relationship with Russia consistent with U.S. interests, and proposed a summit meeting in a third country in the coming months to discuss the full range of issues facing the United States and Russia,” the White House said in a readout of the call.

It’s unclear whether Putin agreed to the proposal on the call, during which Biden also “emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to the White House.

The phone call comes as Russia has built up its military presence in the Crimea region of Ukraine and along Ukraine’s border, which prompted a rebuke from Nato’s secretary general earlier today.

“The President voiced our concerns over the sudden Russian military build-up in occupied Crimea and on Ukraine’s borders, and called on Russia to de-escalate tensions.” the White House said.

Biden also addressed the Kremlin’s attempts to interfere in recent US presidential elections, pledging that America will “act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to Russia’s actions, such as cyber intrusions and election interference”.

The decision to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan represents a reversal for Joe Biden, who previously said he supported keeping a small American footprint in the country.

Speaking to CBS News last year, Biden said he believed the US should maintain “a very small presence” in Afghanistan, meaning several thousand troops, to ensure Al-Qaida and the Islamic State don’t regain a foothold there.

The president has previously emphasized that he did not support the Obama administration’s decision to approve a US troop surge to Afghanistan.

Biden to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 - reports

Joe Biden is reportedly expected to announce he will withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The Washington Post reports:

The decision, which Biden is expected to announce on Wednesday, will keep thousands of U.S. forces in the country beyond the May 1 exit deadline that the Trump administration negotiated last year with the Taliban, according to one person familiar with the matter, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity to describe plans that are not yet public.

While the Taliban has vowed to renew attacks on U.S. and NATO personnel if foreign troops are not out by the deadline, it is not clear if the militants will follow through with those threats given Biden’s plan for a phased withdrawal between now and September.

Officially, there are 2,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, although the number fluctuates and is currently about 1,000 more than that. There are also up to an additional 7,000 foreign forces in the coalition there, the majority of them NATO troops.

The Biden administration has repeatedly dodged questions about when specifically all US troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan, although senior officials have acknowledged they will not make the May 1 deadline.

Asked about the US troop presence in Afghanistan at his press conference last month, Biden said, “We will leave. The question is when we leave.”

When a reporter followed up by asking if he anticipated US troops being there next year, the president replied, “I can’t picture that being the case.”

US Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda for the rest of the day.

Members of Congress are expected to pay their respects to Evans throughout the day, and Vice-President Kamala Harris is also scheduled to visit the Capitol later this afternoon.

The blog will have more details on her visit when it happens.

The Capitol was a scene of heartbreak and grief this morning, as lawmakers and police officers gathered to honor the life of US Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans, who was killed in a car attack earlier this month.

Evan’s 7-year-old daughter, Abigail, could be seen wiping the tears off her mother Shannon’s face as her father was lying in honor in the Capitol Rotunda.

Biden tells Officer Evans' family: 'Your dad was a hero'

Joe Biden praised Officer William “Billy” Evans, reflecting on the sacrifice he made by giving his life as he defended the Capitol on April 2.

“This is heroism. Your son, your husband, your brother, your dad was a hero,” the president said.

After concluding his remarks, Biden appeared to give Evans’ 9-year-old son, Logan, his presidential challenge coin.

Joe Biden reflected on his own losses as he offered his condolences to the family of Officer William “Billy” Evans.

The president noted he has buried two of his own children, as well as his first wife. His son, Beau, died of brain cancer in 2015. His first wife, Neilia, and his daughter, Naomi, died in a car crash in 1972.

Biden told Evans’ family -- his wife, Shannon, and his two children, Logan and Abigail -- that he knows the pain they are going through, and he said things will get easier, even if that seems impossible now.

“I promise you it’s going to come. It just takes a while,” Biden said.

He encouraged Shannon to cherish every moment with Logan and Abigail as they mourn together.

“As long as you have them, you’ve got Billy,” Biden said. “He’s still in your heart.”

Moments ago, Joe Biden picked up a Capitol model toy that was dropped by Abigail Evans, the daughter of the late Officer William “Billy” Evans.

Biden pays his respects to Officer Evans: 'I didn’t know Billy, but I knew Billy'

Joe Biden delivered remarks at the congressional ceremony to pay his respects to William “Billy” Evans, the US Capitol Police officer killed in a car attack earlier this month.

The president extended his sympathy to all of the USCP force, noting this is the second time in two months that a USCP officer has been invited to lie in honor in the Capitol.

Officer Brian Sicknick, who died of his injuries from the January 6 insurrection, also received the honor in February.

Biden said the memories shared by Evans’ loved ones made him think of some of the people he grew up with in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

“I didn’t know Billy, but I knew Billy. I grew up with Billys,” Biden said. “He was the one who always kept his word. If he said he’d be there, he’d be there.”

Updated

House speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated Officer William “Billy” Evans as “a martyr for our democracy”.

The Democratic speaker noted Evans, who was Catholic, was killed on Good Friday, which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Quoting the Bible, Pelosi said Evans “laid down his life for his friends”.

“He represented the best of public service,” the speaker said.

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer reflected on how Officer William “Billy” Evans was always ready to offer a smile to visitors of the Capitol.

Quoting William Shakespeare, Schumer described Evans as “a fellow of infinite jest” who capitalized on “every opportunity for a joke”.

Schumer said Evans based his life on the question, “How can I help?” That was the question that brought Evans into danger on April 2, the Senate leader said.

Schumer told Evans’ two children, Logan and Abigail, that the Capitol is “forever indebted to your dad”.

“We will remember his sacrifice and your sacrifice forever,” Schumer said.

Updated

Congress holds ceremony to honor killed USCP Officer William Evans

The congressional ceremony to honor William “Billy” Evans, the US Capitol Police officer killed in the car attack at the Capitol earlier this month, has now started.

House chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben began the ceremony in the Rotunda by offering an opening prayer.

Kibben said the Capitol is “stained with our tears, its luster dulled by our grief”. The House chaplain said the killing of Evans had “scarred our souls”.

Lawmakers and US Capitol Police officers are now seated in the Rotunda, in anticipation of the ceremony to honor Officer William “Billy” Evans, which will begin shortly.

The children of William “Billy” Evans, Logan and Abigail, are at the Capitol with their mother, Shannon, to attend the congressional ceremony being held in their father’s honor.

As his father’s casket was carried up the Capitol steps, Logan could be seen clutching a teddy bear.

Joe Biden and congressional leaders will attend this morning’s ceremony to honor William “Billy” Evans, the USCP officer who was killed in the car attack at the Capitol earlier this month.

Later today, Kamala Harris will also pay her respects to Evans, who will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda throughout the day.

Casket of killed USCP officer arrives at the Capitol

The hearse carrying the casket of Officer William “Billy” Evans, who was killed in a car attack at the Capitol earlier this month, has arrived at the Capitol.

Evans will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda today, and congressional leaders will hold a ceremony to mourn his death, which will be attended by Joe Biden.

Fellow USCP officers lined up outside the Capitol to salute Evans’ casket.

The ceremony to honor Evans will get underway soon. The blog will have updates on it, so stay tuned.

The senior health officials said they are not seeing similar side effects from the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccines.

Dr Anne Schuchat, the principal CDC director, also noted the risk of these rare side effects is “very low” if someone received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than a month ago.

Johnson & Johnson pause to last 'a matter of days,' senior FDA official says

Dr Peter Marks, the director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, noted these rare side effects seem to be arising between six and thirteen days after administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Asked how long the pause might last, Dr Janet Woodcook, acting FDA commissioner, said that would depend on the information that health experts gather in the coming days.

“We expect it to be a matter of days for this pause,” Woodcook said.

Updated

FDA and CDC officials stress Johnson & Johnson vaccine side effects are 'extremely rare'

Senior officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now holding a press briefing on the latest news about the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine.

Dr Janet Woodcook, acting FDA commissioner, pledged the agencies would “work together to fully understand” the six reports of blood clots in women who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“Right now, I would like to stress these events seem to be extremely rare,” Woodcook said.

Of the more than 6 million Johnson & Johnson shots administered, only six reports of this stroke-like illness have been recorded. Of those six cases, one was fatal, and one patient is in critical condition.

Dr Peter Marks, the director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, added, “That said, Covid-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for federal government.”

The officials emphasized this pause in vaccine administration is meant to review the data on the reports and give information to healthcare providers on how to diagnose and treat these rare cases.

Dr Anne Schuchat, the principal CDC director, promised that health experts will be “following the science and ensuring transparence” as they investigate the reports.

“Our intention is to update you in the days ahead,” Schuchat said.

Updated

Johnson & Johnson pause 'will not have a significant impact' on US vaccine plan, White House says

The pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine will not significantly affect the country’s vaccine distribution strategy, the White House said.

“This announcement will not have a significant impact on our vaccination plan: Johnson & Johnson vaccine makes up less than 5 percent of the recorded shots in arms in the United States to date,” Jeff Zients, the White House pandemic response coordinator, said in a new statement.

Zients added, “Based on actions taken by the President earlier this year, the United States has secured enough Pfizer and Moderna doses for 300 million Americans. Over the last few weeks, we have made available more than 25 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna each week, and in fact this week we will make available 28 million doses of these vaccines. This is more than enough supply to continue the current pace of vaccinations of 3 million shots per day, and meet the President’s goal of 200 million shots by his 100th day in office—and continue on to reach every adult who wants to be vaccinated.”

Zients noted the Biden administration is working with state and local officials to get people quickly rescheduled to receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine if they originally planned to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon hold a briefing on the Johnson & Johnson news, so stay tuned.

Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine to be paused in US over rare blood clots

US health agencies have recommended states pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, after reports of rare and severe blood clots emerged in six women. More than 6.8m doses have been administered nationally.

The concerns mirror those of drugs agencies in Europe and Australia over the AstraZeneca vaccine. That vaccine is not authorized in the US, and there have been no significant safety concerns raised about the two other vaccines that makeup the majority of US supply, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

“People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a joint statement.

All six women were between the ages of 18 and 48. One woman died, and a woman in Nebraska is hospitalized in critical care, according to the New York Times. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is also under scrutiny by the European Medicines Agency, which is investigating four cases of clotting.

Because US states control their own health response, the health agencies framed their statement as a recommendation, even as federal sites will immediately pause administration of the vaccine.

Updated

Capitol employees are making final arrangements to prepare for today’s ceremony to honor Officer William “Billy” Evans, which will be attended by Joe Biden and congressional leaders.

Two seats have been reserved for Evans’ young children, Logan and Abigail. On their seats, someone placed two models of the Capitol, per an NBC News reporter:

House minority leader Kevin McCarthy reflected on the “courage and sacrifice” of Officer William “Billy” Evans, who will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda today.

“With heavy hearts and in recognition of his courage and sacrifice, a grateful nation bids farewell to Officer Billy Evans, a true hero,” McCarthy said on Twitter. “His loss is enormous—our prayers are with his two children, his families, and his colleagues in Capitol Police.”

Posters of Officer William “Billy” Evans have been put up around the Capitol as lawmakers prepare to honor the US Capitol Police officer, who was killed on 2 April .

From an NBC News congressional reporter:

Updated

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged yesterday that today will be a difficult day for everyone who works in the upper chamber, as they honor Officer William “Billy” Evans.

“For everyone who works in the Senate, his loss is particularly painful,” Schumer said on the Senate floor yesterday.

“He was a familiar face who greeted lawmakers, reporters, staffers and employees at the North entrance as we entered the Senate side of the building. Whether you knew him or not, his wide smile was often the first thing you’d see in the morning.”

Shortly after his death, Evans’ family released a statement describing him as “the best father, son, brother, and friend anyone could ever hope for”.

Biden to pay his respects to killed USCP officer at Capitol

Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.

Joe Biden will visit the Capitol today to pay his respects to William “Billy” Evans, the US Capitol Police officer who was killed in a car attack earlier this month, as he lies in honor in the Rotunda.

Evans died after an attacker attempted to ram his car through a security barrier at the Capitol and then exited the vehicle wielding a knife. The attacker, identified as Noah Green, was shot and killed by another USCP officer after exiting the car.

Mourning bunting is displayed outside of US Capitol Police Headquarters on April 13.
Mourning bunting is displayed outside of US Capitol police headquarters on 13 April. Photograph: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

After the attack, House speaker Nancy Pelosi called Evans “a martyr for our democracy”. Days later, she and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer announced Evans would lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda.

Evans is the second USCP officer to lie in honor at the Capitol this year. Officer Brian Sicknick, who died of his injuries from the January 6 insurrection, also received the honor in February.

The two events underscore what a tragic and traumatic year this has been for the USCP force, as well as everyone who works at the Capitol.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Updated

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