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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 8 March 2022
White House: Congress must act soon to replenish COVID funds

By ZEKE MILLER funding to support U.S. vac-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The cine purchases and global
U.S. will soon begin to run vaccine distribution.
out of money to bolster CO- The U.S. has enough shots
VID-19 testing supplies and of the Pfizer vaccine for
to guarantee that unin- children under age 5,
sured Americans keep get- should it be approved in
ting free treatment for the the coming weeks. But if
virus unless Congress swiftly regulators make it a three-
approves more funding, dose vaccine regimen, the
the White House warned. administration would need
Nearly a year after pas- more money to buy ad-
sage of the $1.9 trillion ditional doses. The same
American Rescue Plan, the would also be true if regu-
administration says the fed- lators determine that kids
eral government has nearly aged 5-11 should receive
used up the money dedi- booster shots.
cated directly to COVID-19 The White House empha-
response. More money sized that the federal gov-
from Congress is urgently ernment must sign con-
needed to buy antibody tracts for drugs and vac-
treatments, preventative cines months before they're
therapy for the immuno- needed, so Congress must
compromised and to fund White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, act now to prevent any
community testing sites, of- March 4, 2022. gaps.
ficials say. Associated Press Some Republicans have
"From the COVID side, the expressed sticker shock at
bank account is empty," needs. It's being coupled ficials say that could result prophylactic injection that Biden's request, pressing
said COVID-19 deputy co- with a $10 billion request to in a supply crunch should can prevent serious illness the administration to repur-
ordinator Natalie Quillian. provide support to Ukraine there be another surge in in immunocompromised in- pose other relief funding
"We're in conversations and its people after Russia's cases. dividuals would go dry. By that hasn't been spent.
with lawmakers about how invasion. They also said the Health September, the U.S. would "Oh no, that's too much,"
to secure the funding, but "This is an urgent request Resources and Services Ad- run out of supplies of an Alabama Sen. Richard
it's urgently needed." Some and this is what is at stake ministration will be forced oral anti-viral pill. Shelby, top Republican on
of the consequences could in our fight against COVID," to begin winding down "Given how costly COVID the Senate Appropriations
be felt later this month. press secretary Jen Psaki claims for COVID-19 treat- has been with so many of Committee, said Thursday
The White House last month said on Friday. ment for uninsured peo- our fellow Americans hos- when asked about the ad-
told Congress it was pre- This month, the White House ple this month if Congress pitalized or dying, and our ministration's $22.5 billion
paring to seek $30 billion warns, COVID-19 testing doesn't provide more mon- daily lives disrupted, we request. "And secondly,
for the virus response, but manufacturers will begin ey. Moreover, the U.S. gov- simply cannot afford to we want to see how much
cut that to $22.5 billion in to slow production of at- ernment supply of mono- wait on investing now and money is out there" that
a formal request earlier this home rapid tests unless the clonal antibodies would keeping people protect- hasn't been spent yet from
week that officials said in- federal government signs run out in May. And in July, ed," said Psaki. previously approved CO-
cludes only the most critical contracts to buy more. Of- supplies of the AstraZeneca The request also includes VID-19 relief measures.q

UC Berkeley declines group's offer to admit 1K more students

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — A The ruling was a victory for tives said they were "will-
group of residents that the group, which argued ing to enter into settlement
successfully challenged that UC Berkeley has failed talks based on the principle
the University of California, to address the effect of that enrollment growth can
Berkeley to limit its under- increased student enroll- only take place with no fur-
graduate enrollment of- ment on housing, home- ther pressure on the City of
fered to allow 1,000 addi- lessness, traffic and noise. Berkeley's housing market."
tional students in the up- Supporters of the university However, UC Berkeley
coming academic year. lamented that the lawsuit spokesperson Dan Mogu-
But the university declined, was dashing the dreams of lof told The San Francisco
saying enrollment decisions thousands of students. Chronicle that enrollment
are not up to "a small group In the statement made decisions in the UC system
of litigants." public Saturday, Save are made by elected rep-
Save Berkeley Neighbor- Berkeley's Neighborhoods resentatives in California —
hoods said in a statement offered to allow the univer- including the governor, the
that it would agree to a sity to enroll 1,000 more stu- UC Board of Regents and Students walk on the University of California, Berkeley campus
temporary or partial stay of dents provided 90% of them the office of the UC presi- in Berkeley, Calif., on Aug. 15, 2017.
Thursday's state Supreme are California residents and dent. He said that university Associated Press
Court ruling to freeze next if the University of California officials "will not provide a
fall's enrollment at 2020-21 ends its effort to stop fight- small group of litigants with ent its case before the prospective students by in-
levels, meaning the presti- ing the enrollement cap the ability to tell the Univer- Court of Appeals this sum- creasing online enrollment
gious public university must through the courts and sity of California how many mer. In the meantime, it and asking some to delay
accept about 3,000 fewer state Legislature. students to enroll." said it will comply with the enrollment until January
students than planned. The group's representa- The university plans to pres- court order and try to keep 2023.q