CNBC's "Last Call" - Biden’s Transition & Vaccine Slowdown

Biden’s Transition & Vaccine Slowdown

01/22/21 • 49 min

President Joe Biden is asking government agencies to take immediate inventory and jump to the front of the private sector assembly lines with the Defense Production Act to combat Covid-19. Kayla Tausche joins Shep Smith to report. David Gakstatter is an ICU travel nurse. He is concerned on the state of the hospitals in the U.S. as deaths continue to rise. Dr. Mark McClellan, former FDA commissioner, joins Shep Smith to discuss vaccine supply and the results of the J&J Johnson vaccine trial. The vaccine could be approved sometime next month. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell reports on a new study that shows an antibody drug from Eli Lilly reduces the Covid risk in nursing homes. The study was funded by Lilly. Plus, Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio says at least 23,000 vaccination appointments will have to be rescheduled due to the limited supply. Blasio says the city will run out of vaccines by the end of this week.

Previous Episode

Biden Takes Office; The Path Forward

Joe Biden was sworn in as the nation’s 46th president, and Kamala Harris made history as the first Black, female and South Asian American to become vice president. Biden made a plea for national unity in his inaugural address as political, economic and health care crises grip the nation. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held the Biden Administration’s first press briefing. She discussed the 15 executive orders President Biden signed today. Plus, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy responds to vaccine rollout problems in the state, which is lagging behind in getting vaccines into peoples’ arms.

Next Episode

Biden’s Economic Plan, Covid Variant Strains & Mobile Gaming

President Joe Biden has painted a bleak picture of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak in his first few days in office, warning that it will take months to turn around the pandemic’s trajectory. CNBC’s senior health and science reporter Meg Tirrell reports the U.S. lags in identifying Covid-19 variants due to its decentralized system to push genetic sequencing. She also discusses The NYT’s report that says Pfizer will ship fewer vaccine vials. Ben White, chief economic correspondent at Politico, says President Biden wants to work senators on both sides to quickly pass his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. Michael McFaul, former ambassador to Russia, discusses the Biden administration’s desire to extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty for another five years. Plus, New Jersey collected over $303 million in gambling tax dollars last year due to increased online play. In Pennsylvania, it raised over $1 billion. Contessa Brewer joins Shep Smith to report the accelerating trend in online gaming during the pandemic.