New York joins states on new vaccine coalition in rebuke to RFK Jr.
And why a controversial pipeline was endorsed by New York's utility regulator Thursday.
Good afternoon — It’s Thursday and Cheeseburger Day.
In today’s CapCon:
New York’s utility regulator moved ahead with its endorsement of a controversial unapproved pipeline. Here’s what happened.
A new coalition of Northeast states, including New York, issued their own vaccine guidance in a rebuke to the federal government.
After Charlie Kirk’s assassination at a Utah college, police at SUNY campuses are calling for more collaboration.
New York lost thousands of jobs last month, new state labor data shows.
Lawmakers are headed back to Albany soon for a hearing on the state’s economic development programs.
Names in today’s CapCon: James McDonald, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Rory Christian, Radina Volova, Kathy Hochul, Donald J. Trump, Liz Krueger, Antonio Delgado, James McCartney, Jim Tedisco, Toby Ann Stavisky, Karen McMahon
💉 New York joins six states to issue vaccine guidance in rebuke to Trump administration
A coalition of states in the Northeast, including New York, have now formed a new coalition to issue public health recommendations as an alternative to the federal government.
The Northeast Public Health Collaborative also includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. It’s voluntary but the states intend to work in tandem on public health guidance.
“Everyone benefits when we work together,” said state Department of Health Commissioner James V. McDonald. “I am excited about this collaborative; we all share the same goal of achieving health and well-being for our people.”
The coalition was informally created months ago but have now formed interjurisdictional working groups to identify areas where they could act, according to the agency.
The states made their first move Thursday by issuing joint recommendations for who should receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine.
The groups they say should be vaccinated include children between 6 months and 2 years of age, other children considered at high-risk of contracting the disease, all adults and pregnant people.
Those recommendations are intended as a response to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who’s been skeptical of the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. Kennedy and others have also challenged CDC guidelines that call for infants to receive the vaccine even if they are not high-risk.
They also come one day before the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is anticipated to discuss and vote on its own recommendations on who should receive the vaccine. The committee is housed in Kennedy’s agency.
Kennedy cleared the committee’s membership this year and chose new individuals to guide those recommendations. Some of them have already been critical of the vaccine.
Four states out west — California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii — formed their own public health coalition and issued vaccine recommendations Wednesday.
🔥 Utility regulator approves gas plan that relies on proposed New York Harbor pipeline
A plan to safeguard the supply of natural gas to New York City that relies on the approval of a controversial pipeline was approved Thursday by the state’s utility regulator.
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